EPIPHANY ✁ newt

10 , fever dream

I jolted back - hand immediately moving to feel over my chest and stomach. Newt screamed out from behind me, a few people turning to look at me in horror, but I was still standing. I hadn't been shot. I looked up in time to see any sort of expression fade from the mans face in front of me, swaying slowly before dropping to the ground. The girl who had led us into this trap in the first place was behind him, holding up her gun. She had killed him... but why? Were they not working together?

She stared at her work for a few seconds as if not believing she'd done that - before turning back to our shocked faces. "Come on, lets go."

Newt grabbed hold of me again as the group started moving - really not having a choice this time. If it was between going back to WICKED or staying with the crazy people a bit longer, I knew which one I'd choose any day. As we ran up a set of stairs, following the girl, a strange sort of song started playing. I almost froze in confusion, but I didn't question whatever was happening. It felt like a fever dream, but even if it was - playing along wasn't going to hurt.

"Brenda! Hurry, we don't have much time." Jorge's voice called out from the top of the stairs. So that was her name.

"Trying," Brenda called back as we hurried up the stairs, "one of them is injured or something." My cheeks heated - knowing she was talking about me.

"Right this way!" Jorge walked quickly towards a set of glass doors and flung them open to reveal the cold night outside - I noticed he had an extremely large backpack on him and wondered what all was in there. I wasn't sure I wanted to know. My heart leaped as I saw why he had brought us there. A single rope was strung across the open air - leading to the roof of another building not too far away.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me..." Frypan said, pretty much capturing my thoughts perfectly in his words. The music was still blaring behind us. I had no idea what that was about.

"Its plan B hermano," Jorge replied, testing out one of the hooks for the zipline as he spoke, "you kids want to get to the Right Arm? I'll lead you to them... but you've got to owe me."

Thomas had barely nodded when the older man grabbed one of the makeshift holds, "Alright, follow me!" He yelled, throwing himself out of the window without a second thought. Brenda went after, telling us to hurry again - as if we were treating this like some sort of luxury adventure.

Thomas pushed Minho out next, Aris after him and Teresa next. Thomas cursed out as Brenda suddenly turned the other direction and ran off, leaving Newt, him and I standing there. "Brenda!" he called out, but she was gone. Thomas turned to the two of us, "You guys go, I'll be right behind you."

"Seph, you've gotta-" Newt started but I moved out of his grasp again, pulling down one of the cloth holds and pushing it into his hands as Thomas moved further away from us, still calling out to the girl who had vanished.

"No, Newt, I need you to go. I'm not going to slow you down. Please trust me, don't argue with me right now, Please, Newt." The boy looked more than ready to fight, but then his eyes met mine and he saw the look in them. I sighed in relief as he nodded grimly and jumped out the window without another word. I turned back to Thomas and called out a quick "Hurry." Before grabbing another hold and shakily letting go of the ground, letting the contraption do its thing.

I was grabbed by Teresa the second I reached the other side, who lowered me to the ground to let me catch my breath for a few seconds. Jorge was standing at the edge of the building, staring intently at where we had just come from. "Come on... come on..." He repeated, agitated, "She'd gotta get out of there soon."

Minho looked at him, frowning. "What do you mean by that?" As he spoke, a sudden blast shook the building we were standing on, causing everyone to grab onto something. I watched with complete and utter shock as the building we had just came from burst into flames. Our friends still inside.